A Dramedy Show About RuPaul In The 1980’s Is Coming Hulu
After shopping around shortly, Hulu is bringing RuPaul’s life story to the small screen. The series, tentatively titled ‘Queen,’ follows a fictional narrative based on the life of RuPaul. J.J. Abrams and his company Bad Robot will serve as the executive producer.
RuPaul will also executive produce along with Gary Lennon, who is penning the script. Tom Campbell, Fenton Bailey, and Randy Barbato will executive produce through World of Wonder, a long time collaborator of the drag superstar.
RuPaul, a San Diego native, moved to Atlanta to study performing arts. He eventually settled in New York City during the heyday of The Club Kids, where he became a fixture in the nightlife scene. Now you can see him hosting the reality competition show RuPaul’s Drag Race on Logo and VH1. He’s also up for multiple Emmys at this year’s show.
The show is said to follow the life story from the time in New York to the infiltration of popular culture. This could be a monumental moment for LGBT representation on television. The show promises to show a diverse and unique look into the community, something that doesn’t often happen. Not only will the show have a gay black lead character, but that character is also a fierce drag queen. In this show with LGBT characters in a notoriously chaotic time, RuPaul doesn’t want this show to be too dark.
“This is about my New York life in the ’80s. Interview magazine in those days was my Bible. I grew up in San Diego wanting to be Andy Warhol. No grim storyline about white guys sniffing white powder. It’s the Yellow Brick Road. Wanting to go to six different clubs every night.”
That quote sums up why ‘Queen‘ is going to be a major show. J.J. Abrams (The Force Awakens, Star Trek, Lost) made a smart decision for jumping on this when he did. Putting his stamp on this will bring significant attention to the project, but also align the producer with a show that could be a critical and commercial hit.
What do you think of RuPaul teaming with Hulu and J.J. Abrams for ‘Queen‘?
Let me know your feelings in the comments below.
